Sin
by 70ftofhair
Summary: The wrath of Robert, lust of Saito, greed of Eames, gluttony of Yusuf, sloth of Dom,  envy of Ariadne, and pride of Arthur. Seven Deadly Sins.
1. Robert

_Sins_

_Summary_: Seven deadly sins of Robert, Saito, Eames, Yusuf, Dom, Ariadne, and Arthur.

_**Wrath**_: Robert hated his father.

_**Lust:**_ Saito has a wife, four mistresses, and five kids.

_**Greed:**_ Eames gambles to get more.

_**Gluttony:**_ Yusuf was addicted.

_**Sloth:**_ Dom missed her and couldn't live without her.

_**Envy**_: Ariadne admired their ability to be completely heartless criminals.

_**Pride:**_ Arthur be damned to admit what he couldn't have.

Author's Note: I love the seven deadly sins. Short drabble story.

* * *

**Wrath**

Truth be told, Saito paid way too much money to implant an idea that Robert Fischer had secretly been dreaming of since he was eleven. He hated his father, but most of all, he hated his father's company. It killed his mother. The police attributed it to suicide. She couldn't handle the pressure of running a large corporation, but that was a lie.

She had been brutally murdered, and Robert had witness it all. There were three men who ambushed them one day after school. He watched as they slit her wrist and strangled her with ropes. They took her away from him, and he heard her screams as they took turns raping her. Then he watched as that man made her shoot herself in the head. She was murdered all because his father pissed off the wrong company.

He could've forgiven his father. _Maybe._ If he had made an effort to console Robert after such a traumatic event, but no, Maurice Fischer just had to be an asshole. Instead that bastard sneered at the boy. "There isn't much to say." The next week, he sent him to some snotty boarding school. There wasn't enough therapy to fix the damages that Maurice caused. Robert did everything he could to piss off his father: got expelled five times from five schools, stole his father's cars, brought home girls, brought home boys, anything to piss off his father. Ruining anything he could, thrashed his home, fucked his lovers hard on every surface he could.

But Maurice just ignored his antics, attributing it to a rebellious stage. That pissed Robert off more. So in college, he came up with a plan. Secretly destroy everything his father had built. He threw himself into school (which his father every cent for). He spent years learning and developing his business skills. He started an internship and worked his way up in Fischer Morrow. Finally, Maurice stared to appreciate Robert's company.

All according to Robert's plan… Then the asshole took ill and started dying. Robert hadn't accounted this possibility. He wanted his father to watch the downfall of the company. Instead he died.

On the plane from Sydney to Los Angeles, he was contemplating how to destroy the company, when he fell asleep and dream which was strange because he never dreamed. Not after the nightmares that plagued him as a teenager. He had Browning hire a professional 'dreamer', whatever the hell that was, to suppress his nightmares. He had an epiphany.

_His father loved him, and thought he was trying to be him._

That thought **disgusted **Robert. He promised himself he would destroy Fischer-Morrow.

And he did, but instead of building something of his own, he stashed a billion for himself and watched the company burn to the ground.


	2. Saito

_Sins_

_Summary_: Seven deadly sins of Robert, Saito, Eames, Yusuf, Dom, Ariadne, and Arthur.

_**Wrath**_: Robert hated his father.

_**Lust:**_ Saito has a wife, four mistresses, and five kids.

_**Greed:**_ Eames gambles to get more.

_**Gluttony:**_ Yusuf was addicted.

_**Sloth:**_ Dom missed her and couldn't live without her.

_**Envy**_: Ariadne admired their ability to be completely heartless criminals.

_**Pride:**_ Arthur be damned to admit what he couldn't have.

Author's Note: This one's longer. Saito's a slut. Yum. I couldn't think of a proper last name, so I used Ken Watanabe's last name.

* * *

**Lust**

Saito Watanabe has a wife, four mistresses, five children, and a grandson. He couldn't resist the ladies, and with a multibillion company and charming good looks, who could resist him.

His wife, Kagura Watanabe, didn't have much of an opinion of him. They had been friends since their school days and were married off by their fathers as a business deal. They had two kids, but long lost the spark in their relationship. Though, they probably never loved each other at all. The first time he cheated, he showered her with gifts and waited on her hand and foot. Their spark returned for a night where they made love for hours. After she lit a cigarette, she took a drag and simply said,

"I know you cheated. It's fine, go ahead. Just keep it discreet." She puffed a smoke and sauntered out of the room. He looked at the empty spot of her bed and smiled.

He took her advice. The next week, he flew to LA to complete a business deal when he met Jennifer Gardens, the delicious wife of the business man he was dealing with. He fucked her in their bed. Now every time he flies to LA, they met up for a naughty tryst. One day, she called him out of the blue and announced she was pregnant. She asked him to left his wife and she'd leave her husband. He lied and said he would, so she left her husband. He bought her own place and paid her bills, but didn't leave Kagura.

Then there was Maria. The Spanish minx he met on a trip to Spain with his wife and kids. She was their waitress at a restaurant they were dining on. Kagura gave a knowing stare as he watched the waitress walk away. After her dessert, she slipped him a napkin with a note: 'Fuck her, she's interested.'

He raised an eyebrow at her. She simply smirked and gave him the excuse it was late and she wanted to go to bed. She took the kids as she left winking at him. He returned to the penthouse five hours later, suit barely on and a second mistress. Kagura was up reading a book when she caught sight of him. She patted the bed next to her. "I want another baby." She ordered. He complied and fucked her. When he was done, she got up and decided to sleep in another room.

His third mistress he met during the Inception job. Ariadne had invited the team to a dinner party at her flat with her roommate. While there is he met a charming student named Guinevere. After a few drinks and charming line, he had her panting his name in the alleyway behind Ariadne's place. He took her out a few more times during the job. Ariadne antagonized him, but he added an extra bonus to keep her silent.

Being young and eager, Guinevere was open to trying new things. That pleased Saito. He would later recount their sexually escapades to Kagura who was very intrigued with curiosity. "Let's try that." She ordered. Saito followed her command and fucked her the same way he fucked the young girl.

His last mistress was Carla Li. He had to reside in Hong Kong for a couple of months for a merger, when he hired a young woman to be his personal assistant. She was willing to please. He tested her limits. First there were skimpy outfits to pet names like 'Master' or 'Great One'. Then came the dirty stuff of forcing her to strip and blowjobs under his desk. Then he had completely wrapped around finger. They worked/fucked for eight months before he finally returned home to his wife.

When he returned, Kagura was sitting on their bed dressed in her night attire. It had been years they slept (not fucked and slept but actually fell asleep with each other) in each other's bed. Confused, he sat on the bed next to her.

"A Maria called." She said without glancing up at him. "Oh?" He pondered how she got his house number. He turned to his wife. She didn't seem too upset. "She's having your spawn." She casually stated. His poker face falter, but she smiled. "Do you want me to… get rid of it?" He asked nervously. She chuckled and shook her head. "No, no, but I would like to meet her when she's born. It's a girl by the way." She went on telling him about her conversations with his Spanish mistress over the last few months. After their talk, Kagura bid him goodnight and retreated to her room.

Saito felt lost. Though he had received his wife's authorization to cheat, he felt ashamed of himself. He had a wonderful woman at home, but he was off sleeping with hordes of women, four of which hold their own place in his wallet. Saito felt disgusted with him self. He wanted to…

"Excuse me Saito-san." A voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see his children's nanny posing against the doorframe in revealing lingerie. He felt his throat dry up at the site of her. "Natsu-chan…" She sauntered over to him and straddled him. "Kagura-sama sent me." She smiled coyly before pressing her lips against his. He thought about fighting against her and running after Kagura. He thought about leaving all his mistresses for his one wife.

He thought about making his wife the only woman in his life. He thought about it, but instead, he let lust take over as he rolled on top of the petite Asian woman.


	3. Eames

_Sins_

_Summary_: Seven deadly sins of Robert, Saito, Eames, Yusuf, Dom, Ariadne, and Arthur.

_**Wrath**_: Robert hated his father.

_**Lust:**_ Saito has a wife, four mistresses, and five kids.

_**Greed:**_ Eames gambles to get more.

_**Gluttony:**_ Yusuf was addicted.

_**Sloth:**_ Dom missed her and couldn't live without her.

_**Envy**_: Ariadne admired their ability to be completely heartless criminals.

_**Pride:**_ Arthur be damned to admit what he couldn't have.

Author's Note: Okay, this one's a little different too. I tried to make it about Eames love of Gambling, but it turned into my ideal background story of Eames. I really like it even though it only shows Eames' sin a little. Though I am quite proud.

Anyways. Prayers for Japan.

* * *

**Greed**

Eames had a gambling problem. It started when he was a young teenage growing up in London. Back when he was known as Ethan James Williams. He detested his given name. It was three first names, one right after the other, and they were all such common names. It was the names of his rich grandfathers. He was born into a family of old money. His family was very wealthy and Ethan James hated it. Being the youngest of three sons, there was no way he could inherit any of the family business. He hated his family: his money-hungry father, his superficial mother, his over-achieving brother, and the perfect brother. But most of all, he hated their money. How they got it, and all that it stood for. He wanted his own money.

Anyways, his gambling problem, it started when Ethan James (he was always referred as Ethan James because there was three other Ethan's and an EJ in his year) was fourteen. It was a simple bet. Ethan James and his mate Jeremy bet each other who would lose their virginity first. £30 to whoever loses it first. Ethan James, being the massive flirt he was, ended up winning the bet in a week. (Cute little thing he picked up at the All-Girl Secondary School down the street, he never gave her a ring like he promised, nor did he remember her name.) £30 richer, he felt like a god. Soon he began betting everything he could. He learned how to steal to fund his gambling problem. First it was petty, little bets with his schoolmates ('Who would get the highest score' or 'Who could eat the most') then wagers on football games.

Then at the age of seventeen, he learned how to play cards. He snuck into casinos with a fake ID to play. There he met an older gentleman named Jean Claude who offered him a drink. Ethan James knew immediate it was a false alias, but took up his offer. Turns out that Jean Claude, who he would later call 'Pops', was a professional gambler. He had been watching young Ethan James. ("You're bloody kidding me? Ethan James? What kind of fucked up parents would name their spawn that?") Over the course of six months, he taught Ethan James everything he needed to know about gambling. He learned how to perfect a poker face as well as buff like a madman. He learned how to play table games, particularly Craps. Though math was not a strong point for the schoolboy, he learned how to count cards with the right precision.

It was three months shy of his eighteenth birthday when he got into a row with his father. The older man had caught Ethan James sneaking out with a big wad of cash. He had suspected the boy to be stealing but had no proof. It started with yelling, a slap from the father, a shove from the son, a mother's scream, a punch from the father, a kick from the son, a mother's attempt to stop the physical battle, the first brother's attempt to break things up, another powerful punch from the father, a punch from the son sending the father back against the wall, the second brother sending the son to the floor, a table making contact with a head, blood lots of blood, a mother screaming bloody murder, and blackness.

Ethan James woke up in a hospital bed a day later. He was alone with an envelope off the bedside. He asked the pretty nurse to read it for him. It read: _Ethan James, you are a disgrace. You are no longer our son, for we are disowning you. The hospital bill is paid off, here's your inheritance. Good Riddance. Patrick and Matilda. _

There was a large sum of cash accompanying the note. Angry, bitter and confused, the teenage escaped the hospital and looked for his mentor. He showed up to his door shivering asking for shelter. After recounting the story for Jean Claude (everything minus the money he received because he didn't trust Jean with money), the older man took him in. For the next five years the pair traveled around Europe gambling what they had. They began hustling conning the rich out of their stocks. They made fake chips and stole. Ethan James became nothing more than a conman. He wouldn't have had it any other way for this proved that he could make his own money. He stashed his inheritance away never making use of it.

On Ethan James's (who went by several alias but didn't have a specific one yet) twenty second birthday, the despite the pair's closeness, they decided to part. Jean Claude returned to England while Ethan James went to Paris. Still with his inheritance and Jean Claude's lucky poker chip, he set out for France. At Paris, he met a charming young woman unlike any he had ever met. Her name was Malorie Miles. She was a year younger than him attending the University. Though he was clearly trouble and she was hard-driven worker, the two became fast friends. He even helped her ask out the guy she was madly in love with. (When you ask Cobb, he will tell you a completely different story). Mal (The nickname he coined, she called him Eames combining this two names. "It's easier _darling_," she smirked.) was the most amazing woman he had ever met. She was brilliant, kind, hot-headed, sweet, and witty. Ethan James wondered why a girl like that wanted him as a friend. He was not in love with him, but admired her deeply.

It was a six months after they met when she revealed a secret to him. During their first few months of getting to know each other he had named himself Carter Evans. One day out of the blue she called him. "Ethan James!" He froze. He wanted to run, but she smiled instantly calming him down. She took him to her parent's house. It was the first time he met Dominic (her man) and Miles (her father). They told him that they knew all about him. He came from a wealth family, but was thrown out and became a conman. His mentor Jean Claude was really Michael Calver: a wanted fugitive for murder. As they fed him more and more information, the British man felt himself getting angrier and angrier. He felt betrayed by Mal. He was about to storm off when Mal pulled out a silver case.

In retrospect, he only stayed because he hoping it was filled with money. Instead it was some sort of dreaming device, a PASIV they said. They introduced him to the world of dreaming. It was more than an experience for him. He was playing with his subconscious. After learning the dynamics, he pulled Mal aside and asked why. She smiled and said nothing. After that, he said in Paris. He stayed to dream with Mal and Dom. He met Arthur. (When he was referred as Mr. Williams, he clocked the younger man. Mal had to explain to American that he was simply known as Ethan James.) He introduced the trio to extraction having learning it from his days as a military man. He picked up the art of forging surpassing Arthur's ability. The four became a team: Mal the architect, Dom the extractor, Arthur the point man, and Ethan James the forger.

Extraction proved to be a great obsession for the Brit. Like gambling it involved high risk. You fail a job, lose your life. He was gambling not only his life, but the lives of his three friends. (Don't tell Arthur, but ethan James found him to be his best male friend. Mal being his best friend.) He loved the thrill, plus, the money was way more than good. By their tenth extraction, he had outshone his family's wealth. He loved it. He loved money.

However, after the wedding, the Cobbs moved stateside. The team broke up. Arthur left Paris trying to find a legal use of dream-sharing. Ethan James left for Mombasa following rumors that they were plenty of extraction jobs there. He did a few jobs here and there and gambled when he couldn't find a job. Though he had lost a few years to dreaming, he was still a master gambler and thief. He spent years building up a reputation in Mombasa as a ruthless gambler. Sure he was shot at a few times, but what's life without risk and money?

Then Mal's death came. Cobb fled the country while Ethan James and Arthur went to the funeral.

"Arthur." He acknowledged the ex-soldier who was not clad in his usual three-piece suit attire. "Not wearing a suit I see."

"Hello there Mr. Warner." The Brit smiled happily that the younger man remembered the name. (In their last parting, he told him the next time he would like to be referred as Warner. Arthur always added the 'Mr.' as a formality.) "How's Mombasa?" The older man chuckled.

"Ever the point man darling." He joked. Arthur gave him a light-hearted glare. "It's been good. A few extractions here and there, lots of gambling, fake chips, a few run-ins with some angry bookies, and lots and lots of shaggable women. The good ole stuff."

"Lovely," Arthur rolled his eyes. He placed the bouquet of flowers in his hands on top of Mal's grave. "Have you been working for Cobol?" He asked with concern in his voice. Cobol Engineering was known as a ruthless company. He liked working with them. It was a high risk. High risk equaled big pay.

"Yeah my dear." Arthur straighten up.

"I was offered a job."

"Oh?" Ethan James rose an eyebrow in mock concern.

"We need a forger." He felt the excitement build up.

"You in?"

"Risk factor?"

"Mark is militarized." High Risk.

"Levels?"

"Two." Higher risk.

"Payout?" He needed to know.

"Three million, USD." Eames nodded calculating the money.

"You in?" Arthur repeated.

"You know I am."

"Good. Cobb and I will meet you in Mombasa in three days." Arthur turned to walk away before Ethan James grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Artie, call me Mr. Eames next time you see me. I'll be working at the craps table."


	4. Yusuf

_Sins_

_Summary_: Seven deadly sins of Robert, Saito, Eames, Yusuf, Dom, Ariadne, and Arthur.

_**Wrath**_: Robert hated his father.

_**Lust:**_ Saito has a wife, four mistresses, and five kids.

_**Greed:**_ Eames gambles to get more.

_**Gluttony:**_ Yusuf was addicted.

_**Sloth:**_ Dom missed her and couldn't live without her.

_**Envy**_: Ariadne admired their ability to be completely heartless criminals.

_**Pride:**_ Arthur be damned to admit what he couldn't have.

Author's Note: First of all, thanks to my lovely beta, **Florence Pinky-Poo**, for editing this chapter. I love this chapter personally. I think it was my favorite one of this series yet! (I probably said that before...) I love Yusuf! He's barely in any stories I read (and that I write XD). Plus in the movie, I feel like he had the least amount of characterization of the seven main characters. I wanted to portray him in a different light...

So the ending may be a little... enjoy yourself. :) (Yes this was inspired by a certain Ke$ha song).

Oh, I'm having some writer's block. So don't expect to update anything soon.

* * *

**Gluttony**

It was an innocent question, but the chemist groaned inwardly when it was asked. Ariadne was always so curious. In the long run, it proved to save everyone's asses. (Her stunt in Limbo proved it for sure.) Nonetheless, the architect's curiosity caught the attention of the whole team. It had been six months after the successful Fischer job. The group had all planned to meet in Los Angeles again to celebrate. The group of six were sitting in Dominic Cobb's living room when a slightly tipsy (after all, she was tiny _and_ a female) Ariadne popped an innocent question to the chemist.

"Yusuf, are you still married?"

Arthur and Eames stopped their pointless bickering while Saito and Cobb stopped their business discussion. Yusuf felt the five pairs of eyes on him. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Married? I'm not sure what you're—"

He was interrupted by the Forger. "Oh cut the shit, I've known you for a few years now, and you've only mentioned the wife once."

"But I've never—"

"_Drunk, _darling."

Yusuf felt defeated when Arthur chose to butt in. "You know I did a background check when you were recruited into the team. I found a marriage certificate, but I never found divorce papers."

Cobb took his turn, "Fucking hell?" He was somewhat drunk by then. "You have a wife? And Ariadne, how the shit did you find that out?"

The petite woman shrugged. "He has a ring tan."

Yusuf checked his fingers. There was an area on his ring finger that was lighter than the rest even though he hadn't worn his ring for years. He opened his mouth to object when Saito spoke. "I paid for your retirement." Yusuf's mouth shut. He sighed and chugged the rest of his drink.

"Okay… Her name is Jada…" and she was beautiful. They had met when she was referred to him by his boss at the sleep clinic. Her father had gotten on the wrong side of Cobol Engineering, and her family had to pray the price. She watched as her parents were shot in front of her. As for her, they did unspeakable things, none that she ever relayed to Yusuf.

Cobol gave her the worst fate; they left her with her life. Plagued with ongoing nightmares and insomnia, her concerned uncle (the man who ran the sleeping clinic and Yusuf's boss) asked Yusuf to create a mild sedative that would prevent her from dreaming. She couldn't dream-share because her projections would rip everyone else to shreds. Fresh out of university at the time, it took some time for Yusuf to perfect the sedative. In the meanwhile, she kept him company in his office.

Over the course of three weeks, they got to know each other. She learned that he failed chemistry in high school and only majored in it as part of a dare. He later changed it to pre-pharmacy. His older sisters were doctors and lawyers in the States while he moved to Mombasa after falling in love with the place during a spontaneous trip he went on with his then-roommate. Though they didn't approve, they supported him nonetheless.

Then things changed one night when he gave her a trial drug. Instead of making her have dreamless sleep, it had an ecstasy-like effect. She was fully awake, but in calm stupor. The first time she took it, she and Yusuf talked for six hours straight. They fell asleep cuddling on the floor. The next morning, Jada woke up refreshed and the happiest she had ever felt since the incident. The nightmares were gone, and she had pleasant dreams about sunshine and daisies. ("I kid you not. That was what she said." Yusuf clarified when Eames snorted.) She praised Yusuf, something that he never really got before.

The only notable side-effect at the time was her lack of remembrance of most (not all because she remembered singing Yusuf to sleep) events the night before. "It felt amazing," she said. "Best feeling I've ever felt. Don't make anything new, the drug is perfect." Yusuf knew it wasn't, but he didn't push it when he saw how happy she was.

Yusuf had never felt such a connection to a person. They talked and bonded. Plus Jada was beautiful and liked him.

After he administered the drug the first time, she began living with him. He'd work at the clinic and she'd work as a seamstress. When he would finish, he'd pick her up and they'd head home. She'd cook them dinner where they'd talk for hours at a time. When it got late, he'd slip her the drug. Sometimes they'd talk some more. One night it escalated into deep passionate sex. (Yusuf blushed when he retold the sex. Eames sensed his sudden discomfort. "Was it your first time?" He snickered only to be hit on the side of his head by both Cobb and Arthur. "Shut up Eames." They said in unison.) In the morning, she'd praise him again for the drug. On the night they had sex, she cooked him breakfast remembering the night's sensual affair.

One night, he came home with a ring. It had only been a few months, but he thought it was love. She felt the same and agreed. They eloped with only her uncle (his boss) as their witness. Her family was dead after all, so he only sent letters to his family about the affair.

"So there you go." Yusuf finished. He looked at everyone's concerned face. "What?"

"So, you guys have kids or…?" Ariadne trailed off.

"No kids," Arthur answered. Yusuf rolled his eyes. Just like the point man to know everything.

"How come I've never met her?" Eames asked curiously.

"Because…" Cobb and Saito remained silent, but leaned in closer to hear the answer.

Yusuf sighed. "Fine." He continued the story.

"A few months after the wedding,…" She started changing. The nightmares were coming back. She stopped sleeping, lost weight, and got sick easily. She went through mood swings. Soon Yusuf realized what had happened.

She was growing a tolerance towards the drug.

He yearned for the woman that loved him back. So he increased her dosage of the drug. It worked… at least for the first few nights. Soon, the lovely woman was slipping from his grasp. He developed a new drug: same effects, stronger dosage. It kept her sane for a little bit.

Then months later, it happened again.

She kept building immunity towards it.

No matter how strong he made it, it wasn't enough. They started fighting. The next he knew, she was shouting and throwing things at him. He threatened to stop making the sedative. She quickly shut her mouth. As he tried to create a better drug, he had to watch her shake and fidget. She'd scratch her arms until they were red and almost bleeding. She would break things and yell at him. "Make me better, damn it!" He knew she had an addiction.

"So I made her choose, me or the drug." Yusuf said regretfully.

"And?" He wasn't sure who asked, not that it mattered.

"She chose the drug." His last statement ended all the wife-talk. The rest of the team dropped the case. The conversation moved on from there. Yusuf quietly nursed his drink.

That wasn't the end of the story. It wasn't even true. He didn't give her a choice. He succumbed to her will and made her a new drug. Instead of nightly doses, he let her take it every six hours. She was an addict, and in returned he had the perfect housewife. She took care of him, fed him, and waited on him hand and foot. Without his drug, she wouldn't do that. The fact was she was addicted to drugs, and he was addicted to her. They were dependent of each other. Never in his life did he feel so wanted and loved by another.

Yusuf needed her love.

He needed her.

He couldn't lose her. He couldn't live without her.

She needed his drug; he needed her love.

He would never admit it to the gang, but he was just as _sick _and _addicted_ as she was.


	5. Dom

_Sins_

_Summary_: Seven deadly sins of Robert, Saito, Eames, Yusuf, Dom, Ariadne, and Arthur.

_**Wrath**_: Robert hated his father.

_**Lust:**_ Saito has a wife, four mistresses, and five kids.

_**Greed:**_ Eames gambles to get more.

_**Gluttony:**_ Yusuf was addicted.

_**Sloth:**_ Dom missed her and couldn't live without her.

_**Envy**_: Ariadne admired their ability to be completely heartless criminals.

_**Pride:**_ Arthur be damned to admit what he couldn't have.

Author's Note: First of all, thanks again to my lovely beta, **Florence Pinky-Poo**, for editing this chapter. I had serious issues with this chapter when I first was brainstorming. Nonetheless, this lovely chapter managed to leak from my brain and appear on your computer screen (AKA I typed it up for you lovely readers). My beta and I are quite please with how this ended up, and I truly hope that you guys like it.

I would like to take the time to thank my reviewers: **VeIaRrGtOh**,** Jazzy'sgirl112108**, **moon's the limit**, **paradoxicalarchitecture**, **Lazarus76** (who makes me squeal everytime their name shows up), and a very lovely anon.

thank you to everyone who read/follows this story. Also, I will be gone on spring break. So I'll be gone for a bit. But I love you all and will see you soon. :)

* * *

Sloth

As Dominic Cobb reflected on that dark night in March near Phillipa's fourteenth birthday, he wondered where he went wrong. He was a good father, right? He bought the kids whatever they wanted (what thirteen-year-old girl had a vast collection of designer purses and what eleven-year-old had all the latest Apple technology?), spoiled them on vacations to all parts of the world (to visit Uncle Arthur, Auntie Ari, and Uncle Eames in every country in Europe, Uncle Yusuf in Mombasa, Uncle Saito in Japan, or Grandpa Miles in Paris), let them do all kinds of sports (football and soccer for James and just soccer for Phillipa), and gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted (James got to have his friends over to play videogames and Pippa went to sleepover at her friends' houses all the time).

So he spent the whole night begging Mal to show him what he done wrong.

That dreadful day started with a visit to the principal's office at Phillipa and James' middle school. Phillipa was in the eighth grade while James was a sixth grader. Now a teen, Phillipa was prone to being called Phil or Pippa. She had dye the bottom layer of her blonde hair pink. James was still shy but he had grown and now towered over his sister. Both of the Cobb kids were intelligent and athletic children. Dom knew this, but he also knew that wasn't why he was called into Principal Meyer's office at 10:30 am.

"I don't understand why both Phillipa and James are in your office," Dom inquired. The stocky, middle-aged man across the mahogany table rubbed the bridge of his nose as though he had relayed the story several times already.

"I don't know if there is a better way to explain this, Mr. Cobb." Principal Meyers laced his fingers together, propped his elbows on the table, and rested his chin on top of his fingers. "But your kids are bullies."

"Bullies? But they're the—" Meyers interrupted the former extractor.

"Your daughter verbal attacked—no, no abused!—another female student while your son physically attacked the female student's brother." Dom felt as if he was slapped in the face.

"Okay, okay. So, what are they facing? Just a few detentions?" Meyers shook his head.

"I'm afraid we're going to give them a harsher punishment."

"What, a suspension?"

Meyer sighed once more.

"We're expelling both your kids." In an instant, Dom was on his feet with his hands firmly planted in the edge of the table. His eyes narrowed at the man before him.

"Expulsion? Isn't that a little too much?" Meyers took a deep breath before speaking in a steady voice.

"I apologize Mr. Cobb, but Phillipa has already been suspended on two different occasions," Dom's fist clenched against the wood. "And we have a zero tolerance rule against violence. There's nothing I can do."

"But they are the smartest kids in the school." Dom spat. Meyers considered this. It was the truth; nonetheless, the Principal shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. Yes, they are the most intelligent kids we have had in several years. As much as it pains me to do this because I do like your children, we have rules. They broke them, and now they must face the punishment," Meyer said in a firm voice. "I suggest you get your kids to clean out their lockers and take them home. Then call Ms. Bell in the front office, and she'll help you set-up with a transfer to a new school…" Dom slowly slid back into the seat taking all of Meyer's instructions.

* * *

The Cobb residence was not a pretty sight when the three returned home. Dom tried his best to talk to the two on the drive over, but they had remained silent. Once home, Phillipa stomped straight to her room while James lingered in the hallway waiting for Dom to scold him. Instead, he simply told James to fetch his sister. When James didn't return after 20 minutes, Dom stormed his way to Phillipa's room. He saw her closed door and James sitting outside the door talking to her.

"Phil, come on. Dad wants to talk us."

"He could fuck off!" she screamed back. James cringed at the foul language.

Dom carefully approached him. James stood up immediately. Dom knocked on the door kindly.

"Leave me alone James!"

"Pippa! It's your father. Open this door and get out here now." He heard the other side of the door huff before the lock clicked and the door opened. Dom watched as his daughter marched out of the room. She gravitated towards the nearest wall and leaned back against it.

"Alright, have at it." She said smugly. Dom nodded at James who took a spot next to his sister. After a moment of silence, Dom broke the tension.

"Would you guys like to explain what the hell happened with you today?" Phillipa scoffed. Dom squinted at her.

"Something you'd like to say, young lady?" She pressed her lips together, brought her hand up in surrender and shook her head. Dom glanced over to his younger child and saw that James was terrified.

"What's been with you guys lately? James, I've noticed you been more aggressive in football and soccer. Pippa, this was going to be your third suspension." The fist suspension was due to a small drug scandal: five other kids were also suspended. The second suspension was due to a prank conducted by her and a fellow female student that resulted in destroying a whole classroom. "Now you're both expelled! Are you happy?"

"Obviously not." Phillipa retorted. James gave her a frightened look. She simply shrugged and tried to suppress a laugh.

"What is wrong with you? You've been out of control." Dom directed this statement to Phillipa who raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Oh you noticed that huh?" She replied cheekily. Dom groaned slightly reminded of Eames.

"You were three months from high school. Why?" She giggled.

"That bitch had it coming, so did her dumbass brother. Good thing James-y put him in his place."

"Pippa." James hissed. She grinned at him.

"Watch your language young lady." Phillipa stepped forward.

"That. Bitch. Had. It. Coming." She spat out. Each word, she took a step closer to Dom. James reached out an arm to stop her, but she just pulled her arm free.

"Go to your room." Dom pointed to down the hall. Her eyes glimmered with glee.

"Oh joy! This is perfect. Go ahead and neglected me more!" She didn't hesitate to leave. She sauntered off in merriment as Dom cursed under his breath.

"Jesus Christ, if your mother was here…" She stopped dead in her tracks and glared back at her father.

"She's not here anymore, Dom. She's dead. She's been dead for nine fucking years! Get over it."

Dom clenched his fist so tight, his knuckles turned white. He slammed his fist into the wall, efficiently creating a new hole in the exterior. Phillipa grinned satisfied as she walked into her room, slamming her door in the process. James looked nervously at his father who was trembling.

"Dad… I—" Dom ignored him and walked towards the kitchen to fetch him a drink. James sighed as he slid down the wall onto his bottom. He brought his hands to his face and began sobbing into them.

* * *

As Dom downed his fifth shot of vodka, he heard the doorbell ring. He begrudgingly got up from the kitchen stool and stumbled towards the door using the wall for support. Shock ran through his face when he was faced with Arthur, Ariadne, and Eames. The trio smiled happily at him as he backed up and let them in.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked slightly slurring his words.

"Young James called, and we were in the area anyways." Eames answered cheerfully. Dom squinted at his former colleagues questioningly. He checked his watched and realized it had been over eight hours since he had seen or talked to his kids. He assumed they were in their rooms abusing their technology.

The dream team led Dom to his kitchen where Dom and Arthur sat down. Eames and Ariadne both left the kitchen after the two settled in. Dom looked at Arthur expectantly.

"They're just going to check on the kids. Let's talk." Arthur said.

Dom poured himself another a shot and passed a glass towards Arthur. The younger man shook his head.

"What happened today? I've never heard James sound so frantic." Dom titled his head to the side.

"Why did he call you guys?" Dom asked ignoring Arthur's question.

"Pippa and Jay call us on a regular basis." He said, taking in the older man's bewildered expression. "You knew that, right?" Dom shook his head.

"Oh." Arthur looked away feeling suddenly uncomfortable. Dom chugged his shot taking extra note of the burning sensation in his throat. Ariadne ran back into the room.

"Where's Pippa?" she asked.

"What do you mean, 'where's Pippa'?" Dom asked, feeling the anger building up.

"She's not in her room, and I can't find her anywhere." Arthur and Dom were on their feet before she even finished her sentence. Arthur went straight to her room with Ariadne following. Dom staggered towards James' room. He found James and Eames sitting across from each other sharing a laugh. Dom grabbed James by the shoulders. Fear flashed through James' eyes.

"Where's your sister?" James shuddered as if venom was dripping out of his father's mouth.

Arthur and Ariadne rushed into the room with a piece of parchment in the architect's hand.

"It's a note." Ariadne said handing it to Dom. He let go of his son's shoulders and snatched the paper from her hands. He nearly ripped it opened before crumbling it back up. As an extractor, he had seen his share of morally corrupt shit from the marks, but as he read Phillipa's careful handwriting, he felt sick and disgusted.

_I hate you._

* * *

Phillipa Cobb lied. She didn't really hate her father. By all means she loved him, but he was a bad parent. How did she know this? Well, let's start in the beginning.

When her mother died, he abandoned them. That was her first sign. Grandmere had told her that he was never going to come back. She told them that he stopped loving them. Though to Dom's credit, Pippa always believe that he would come back. Sure he missed two of her birthday' and he never called or wrote to her or James, but she believed in him. Plus he sent them a mass of toys. That's love, right?

Then one day in July (okay… on July 16, 2010), he finally came home. It was hugs and kisses all around for a year. Then suddenly, she noticed he was less affectionate towards them. He stopped holding her hands when they went out. He stopped carrying James around. Her eight-year-old self pondered for hours why he suddenly changed.

One evening when she was nine, she asked him to talk about her mother. He snapped at her, and she was sent to her room without dinner. Nonetheless, she still believed in him.

It wasn't until she was ten did she realized how neglectful Dom was towards them. Both she and James had games scheduled on the death anniversary of Mal. Dom dropped the kids off, promising to come back when their games started. By the end of James' game, however, he was still not there. Pippa noticed Uncle Arthur and Uncle Eames watching. It was a play-off game for Pippa, and it was the first one she started. She ended up scoring two goals, and her team advanced to the semi-finals. She was so proud of herself, but after her game, she realized her father still wasn't in the crowd, but Auntie Ari had joined the group. Hiding her frustration, she warmly welcomed her makeshift family. They applauded her performance and took the two of them out to dinner.

When they dropped them off home, she told her father how sad she was when he didn't show up to her game. She expected him to hug her, kiss her forehead and apologize like he would when she was younger, but instead he patted her head and muttered a pitiful 'sorry'.

She couldn't look at him the same again.

* * *

In the end, Ariadne found her in the backyard gazing up into the sky. She was counting the stars. When the older woman led her inside, she glared at her father.

"Phillipa, can I talk to you?" She pondered for a minute before nodding her head. Ariadne squeezed her shoulder gently before vacating the room. The young girl looked at her father in anticipation. She wondered what nonsense he would be yelling at her this time.

"I'm sorry…" She blinked in confusion. She wasn't expecting that.

"Why are you sorry? I'm the one who got expelled from school." Dom's eyes softened. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You have to hate me for a reason, right?" And as if she just watched a sad movie, Phillipa broke down in tears in her father's arms.

In that moment, Dominic Cobb swore he would never make his daughter cry ever again**. **


	6. Ariadne

_Sins_

_Summary_: Seven deadly sins of Robert, Saito, Eames, Yusuf, Dom, Ariadne, and Arthur.

_**Wrath**_: Robert hated his father.

_**Lust:**_ Saito has a wife, four mistresses, and five kids.

_**Greed:**_ Eames gambles to get more.

_**Gluttony:**_ Yusuf was addicted.

_**Sloth:**_ Dom missed her and couldn't live without her.

_**Envy**_: Ariadne admired their ability to be completely heartless criminals.

_**Pride:**_ Arthur be damned to admit what he couldn't have.

Author's Note: First of all, thanks again to my lovely beta, **Florence Pinky-Poo**, for editing this chapter. I was once again stuck on this. It's pretty angst-y and different than the others. I'm an Ariadne/Arthur shipper at heart, but I tried my hardest not to incorporate that into this story... I failed... sorry non-A/A shippers. (-_-)

Thank you reviewers.

The next chapter is the last! So review please. :)

* * *

Envy

In the years following the Fischer job, it was safe to say that Ariadne had done okay for herself.

The years following her first dream heist, Ariadne still dreams. She dreams a lot, almost twice a week. They all told her it will disappear eventually, but she doesn't believe them.

Not when three year after the fact, she still has nightmares of Mal stabbing her.

Not when she could see the look of Fischer's eyes when she pushes him off the building or the look in Cobb's eyes when she shoots Mal.

Not when she dreams of buildings exploding and crumbling all around her.

Not when she wakes up only to find herself in a vast ocean.

From time to time, it rains in her dream.

Other times, she hears gunshots in the street and finds herself nursing a ninja back to health.

A few times, she catches herself in the bathroom with a feisty blonde, and when she looks into the mirror, she sees a blue-eyed Brit.

She catches herself walking up endless staircases.

They told her it goes away. She doesn't believe anything they say anymore.

* * *

Three years after the job, she doesn't talk to any of them. It's not that they didn't try, but because she can't bear to.

Dom writes her long and detailed letters and sends her Christmas cards. Smiling faces etch on to his and the children's faces. When she sees their faces for the first time, she has to look away. Both Phillipa and James have their mother's eyes. They haunt her.

Saito offers her jobs ever so often. Each job is more elaborate than the first: office buildings to hotels. He offers to pay her more than he paid for the Inception, but every time she goes to meet with him, she doesn't see him. She sees a man clutching his bloody chest.

Yusuf calls. She usually ignores him, but when it rains, she finds herself answering. He reminisces of their times together during the brief period they work together. She smiles because she doesn't remember all of those memories on her own. She needs Yusuf to remind her that they were once best of friends because the only thing she remembers about him was the fact that he let Cobb risk all their lives.

Eames drops by to see her every so often. He was the only one guy in the job she never had any external issues with during/after the job. He never did her wrong nor nearly have her killed nor traumatized her, yet she moves away after his last visit. She knows he could easily find her, but he never comes after her. She's grateful.

Robert Fischer falls off the radar a year after the Inception. He dismantles his father's company and finds himself in a scandal. This she hears from friends and coworkers. She can't stand to read about him or look at his pictures. All she can think about is the moment she gives him the kick. It made her feel like she killed him.

Arthur is gone. They see each other briefly after the job, but she breaks up with him. He still sends her flowers every first Sunday of the month, no matter where she is. She lets them die.

* * *

It wasn't always like that. She trusted them.

But she's terribly naïve at twenty-three.

* * *

_Things had gone wrong. _

_Only a few months had passed since the Inception when Arthur called her. There was a job offer. _A simple extraction, _he promised her. _One level, you don't even have to go in. The pay is fourth of Saito's pay. Easy money.

_Nothing in the dreamworld is easy._

* * *

She leaves Paris once her degree is finished.

It's the city where all her dreams take place.

All of her dreams are nightmares.

* * *

_She isn't surprised to find Eames in her kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. Nevermind the fact she hasn't seen him since the failed job. He greets her excitedly with a kiss on both cheeks. She greets him with an eighth of his eagerness._

Where's young Arthur? _He surveys the room. She shrugs. She hasn't been keeping track of the Point Man._

_He stays for a week. They barely exchange five sentences at a time. On his last night, he makes her dinner._

Darling, you're going have to forgive us one day, _he spoke softly. She prods the fish he cooked for her with her fork. She never acknowledges his statement._

_She moves a week later._

* * *

She meets Alessio while working on her first architecture job in Rome. He's her assistant. He's clumsy and a total spazz. He's taller than her by a foot and a half. He could break like a toothpick and couldn't fight for his dear life. He's nothing like the guys.

He's her age.

He has no psycho ex-girlfriends.

He's broke.

He hates science.

He has an accent Italian accent.

He doesn't wear designer suits.

So she picks him to be her lover.

* * *

She keeps her totem hidden in her purse. She hasn't touched it since the day she left Paris.

* * *

They elope after two months. She finally thinks she's happy again.

* * *

_"Arthur!" She screams in panic. She's frozen to the spot. A gunshot rings out. Her hand goes straight into her pocket to grasp her totem. Her worst fears are realized. Perfect weigh, this is reality._

_There's more gunfire. She turns. Arthur is busy playing G.J. Joe with his own set of attackers. There are already three lying dead by his feet. She watches as he swiftly breaks the neck of the fourth while waiting for the fifth assailant. Yusuf is throwing acid at his single attacker. The man screams in agony as his face burns off. Eames is down, so are the two goons lying near him. She sees the charming British man struggling to crawl forward to reach his firearm. The other two aren't so lucky with bullets to their heads. _

_More gunfire fills her ears. She covers them and clenches her eyes shut. She doesn't see the men assigned to kill her approaching. Suddenly she's grabbed roughly by the arms. The stranger's grip is strong, and she feels herself bruising. _

_"Arthur!" She calls out again. She's kicking and screaming. Her capturer has a friend. The other man uses her scarf against her by strangling her with it. She thrashes against their bodies, but it's useless. She can't breathe anymore. Her world is going black. She's going to die. _

Pure creation, _was it worth it?_

_ Bang. Bang. Bang. Three gunshots go off simultaneously. Suddenly she's on the floor, sandwiched in between her two attackers. She can feel liquid soaking through her torso. She panics, assuming she was shot. She doesn't realize she isn't in pain. She doesn't move. She opens her mouth and starts screaming again. _

_She's calling for Arthur, Eames, Yusuf, anyone. _

_She's abruptly pulled out of the sandwich. She starts hyperventilating and pushes her savior away. Her eyes are still shut. A hand strokes her cheek gently. She opens her brown orbs to lock with another familiar pair._

Ariadne, it's okay._ Arthur says. He looks awful. His usually gelled hair was sticking out all over the place. His left eye is swollen. Blood drips from his nose. There's a knife wound near his temple where more blood is gushing. His suit jacket is gone, and his formerly crisped white shirt is stained pink. The top few buttons were ripped off and the sleeve has been torn off. This is not the Arthur she knows._

It's okay._ He pulls her into his arms and plants kisses all over her head. _

You're okay. You're okay. Thank god, you're okay.

_She doesn't believe him._

* * *

Ariadne wakes up with a scream. Alessio is by her side in an instant. She's completely hysterical, and Alessio's at a lost. He tries whispering soothing words to calm her.

_You're okay. _They only make her scream louder. Soon the neighbors are pounding on the door swearing in their own native tongues.

In the end, they end up in the hospital. Alessio has a broken nose. Ariadne is sedated into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Following her episode, she comes clean to Alessio. She tells him all about the dream-sharing community. She spills every aspect from her experience: from flipping buildings and uncontrollable projections. She tells him all about Robert Fischer. She confesses to the crimes she committed, and the murders she watched her former colleagues commit.

She expects him to lock her up. He doesn't.

* * *

It wasn't supposed to be like this, _Arthur says. Ariadne is still shaking. It's been three days. She hasn't slept in five. The four of them were huddled up in the nearest safe house. The three men are nursing their own wounds._

_Eames is the worst with a gunshot to the thigh. Ariadne is initially horrified, but he assures her that years in the Royal Marines, he's been through worse. Yusuf has burn marks from the splatter of acid. His arm is badly scarred. And Arthur has knife wounds all over his body. _

It isn't always like this _he says, putting on a brave face. She's not swayed._

* * *

She's expecting. Their tiny flat is filled with baby books. Alessio wants a boy. Ariadne wants a girl. They make a bet: whoever guesses the sex right gets to name their child. By five months, the doctor tells her she's won.

She's happy, she convinces herself.

* * *

_She packs the last of her stuff from her apartment. The boxes are stacked by the door, and she's just waiting for a moving van. She clasps her hands together and prays Arthur doesn't return before she leaves._

_God doesn't grant her wish. He's there before the movers. He looks around the small space, and questions why her stuff is all packed. She sits him down._

I can't do this, _she confesses. His eyebrows press together as he comprehends her words._

I don't understand, _he whispers. She sighs._

I'm not like you guys. I'm not a thief. My heart isn't stone cold like you guys. _Arthur's eyes darken, and she realizes it was a low blow. She goes on. _

My first job, I almost get lost in Limbo. My second job, my teammates kill ten people in less than thirty minutes. I don't want to be a part of it anymore. _They don't say anything for the longest time._

What about pure creation? _He asks as if it's going to change her mind. _

What about morality? _She counters coldly. He opens his mouth to say something, but he's interrupted by a knocking. The movers are here. _

_She's gone by the hour. She leaves behind a box of scarves._

* * *

Four years after Inception, she realizes her life isn't easy. Eight months into her pregnancy, she goes into premature labor. Alessio is gone. She has a job in Prague, but being pregnant, he goes in her place. He is only gone for a day. Nothing bad could happen, they believe.

They are wrong.

* * *

Annelise is stillborn.

* * *

Ariadne never thought she could feel such heartache. She finds hope that her heart can't be broken any harder than this.

She shouldn't expect so much.

* * *

Alessio commits suicide a month after.

* * *

Ariadne doesn't believe in much anymore.

* * *

She returns to Paris alone. She doesn't do it consciously, but she's there. She walks into Professor Miles' lecture. She takes a seat in a back. Her eyes shut as she remembers four years before when she was just a student. She was the most promising student, top of the class, destined to succeed.

Look at her now: a barely notable career, a dead family, and large, unused Swiss bank account.

When her eyes open again, the lecture hall is empty. She looks around and sees Professor Miles staring at her intently.

"Hello Ariadne," he greets her softly. She notices that he more wrinkles than before. Of course it has be many years since she's seen him last.

"Hello Professor Miles," she replies. He frowns.

"Ariadne, you haven't been my student for four years. Please call me Stephen." She smiles softly.

"It's nice to see you again, Stephen."

* * *

She ends up telling Stephen everything that had happened in years following the job.

He's not exactly sure what shocks him more.

* * *

She roams the bridge she had recreated during her second dream-sharing experience with Cobb.

She eats dinner at the restaurant she has eaten several times with Yusuf.

She checks into the hotel she knows Eames stays during his duration in Paris

She finds herself in the warehouse with the key Arthur handed her four and half years before.

* * *

_It's by chance she reads a newspaper. She visits New York after Paris. She figures they'll, her former teammates, will find her, but that doesn't stop her from leaving. _

_She's walking on the street with an old childhood friend when her friend shows her a newspaper. _

It's so sad, _she comments pushing the paper into Ariadne's hands. _I can't believe one man can be so selfish. _Her friend says in disgust. Ariadne squints at the paper. There are two pictures of two familiar men. The headline reads, _Billionaire Son Destroys Fischer-Morrow, Browning committed.

_Ariadne excuses herself. She goes home and cries for hours. She accepts a museum job in Italy. She doesn't return stateside._

* * *

She's not surprised when Arthur shows up five minutes after her. She had a feeling he followed her. In fact, he may have never left. He stands in front of her: hands in his pocket and a severe case of poker face. She acknowledges his appearance with a civil nod.

Ariadne circles around the warehouse with Arthur walking ten paces behind her. She takes note of how familiar the whole place is. She walks into the room Cobb had claimed as his own. She doesn't linger long, just long enough to remember Mal.

Next she walks around Yusuf's workstation. The smell of various chemicals remains. Covering her nose, she hastily walks away from the area straight into Eames' desk. She remembers the hours she spent sitting on top of his desk trying to figure out his job. A small smile finds a place on her face.

She turns away, skipping Arthur's table. However, her eyes stray to his former chair: the one Yusuf and Eames knocked him over with countless times to test out the sedative and the one Eames demonstrated a kick for her. The small on her face broaden to a full-fledge smile. From behind her, Arthur smirks.

She finally stops her stroll when she reaches her designated work area. The space is empty; presumably Arthur destroyed all evidence that she had been there. She runs her hand over the table reminiscing of the time it was filled with sketches and models.

Her hands reach into her purse, and for the first time in years, she grasps her totem. The bishop is cool and heavy. It's not unfamiliar. She places it on the table cautiously. Arthur raises an eyebrow at her, but she pretends she hasn't been glancing at him the whole time. She traces her fingers top to bottom over the bronze bishop.

It falls with a thud. She turns to face Arthur. Their eyes meet for the first time in a long time. Like magnets, they fall into each other's arms.

* * *

She writes Dom back. They exchange letters and soon enough, the kids send her letters too. Phillipa is nine turning ten, and James is seven turning eight. She doesn't see a ghost in their pictures anymore.

She accepts the next job Saito offers her. It's an office building located in Osaka. When she shakes his hand offer making the plans, she notices blood doesn't linger on her palms.

She answers Yusuf's call on a sunny Parisian day. She asks him if he remembers the time when they started a mini-prank war with Eames.

She goes to Mombasa alone to surprise Eames. He's more than happy to see her again.

She's starting to believe…

* * *

Arthur? _She whispers one night. He turns over to face her._

Yes dear? _She takes a moment to revel in dishevel hair._

Do you still dream? _He arches his eyebrows before moving an arm to her waist to turn her away from him so he can embrace her behind._

No. _She doesn't go back to sleep_.

* * *

She starts taking jobs again.

It's not so bad she realizes.

Some jobs go well; some don't.

It's still not so bad she believes.

* * *

_She walks into a house, setting her keys in the bowl on the table near the garage door. She walks patiently into the kitchen. She sees a little girl doing her homework. A tall man has her back towards her. Ariadne ruffles the child's hair affectionately. The girl beams up her. _

Hello Maman, _the girl smiles. Ariadne returns the grin. She saunters up to the man and wraps her arms around his waist. Suddenly her skin burns. She backs away from the man. In front of her, is Alessio. His face, with a sinister smile etch upon it, is melting. She backs up away from him as he lunges towards her. The previously bright room dims._

_She runs to protect the child, but when she turns to face the child, the young girl has a wicked smile on. Ariadne is backed into a corner. Suddenly hundreds of projections take the faces of Alessio. They surround her, grabbing at her. They push and pull at her. She opens her mouth to scream, but nothing comes out._

_Then Mal shows up with Robert Fischer. _

You're waiting for a train, _projection Mal recites as she runs a finger through the sharp side of the knife. The Alessio projections are still attacking her. Projection Robert steps forward and strokes her cheek._

You killed me, _He spits at her face. _

As of me, _projection Mal adds as she plunges the knife into Ariadne's abdomen. The hundred of hands let go instantly as she clutches her stomach. She collapses to the ground, pressing her hands on her bleeding wound. Projection Robert smirks._

Enjoy dying, _he says kicking her. She's falling._

* * *

She wakes up screaming. Arthur is by her side instantly. She forgets they're back together.

* * *

"You still dream." He doesn't ask. Its hours later, she is completely calm now.

"Yes." She replies coldly. He pulls her into his lap and runs his fingers in her hair. His lips linger close to her ears. He blows softly into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"You're lucky." He says pressing a kiss to her cheek.

She thinks he's the lucky one.


End file.
